Man, my summer is just flying by at mach 10! So what's been going around here? Well I'm just back from a lovely couple of days in Newport, Rhode Island. My sister graduated from her 5-week basic training so Dad, Mom and I went up to celebrate with her and cheer her on at her graduation ceremony.

We got to do some site-seeing (Marble House, New Bedford Whaling Museum, downtown Newport) but mostly we simply spent as much time with Bridget as her liberty schedule would allow.

We had some fabulous meals (the seafood in New England is SO good!) and some great family time. The time with B wasn’t long enough of course and we were all sad when we had to part. This living on opposite ends of the country stinks!

We are all so incredibly proud of Bridget though. It was great (if slightly surreal) to see her in uniform and to be part of the US Navy again, if only on the very fringes in my case. I didn’t realize just how much I missed it all since Dad retired. *sigh*

Right before my trip to New England we had our Mary Kay end of the year unit awards (the MK year runs July 1 - June 30th). I achieved my goal of Queen of Sales and was also Most Improved and Miss Go-Give (again!). Wow!!

So next time I pack my bags it will be for Costume College - I'm so excited! I haven’t had much time for sewing lately but that really needs to change now. I've mostly been working on the Diva, which is feeling like an endless bowls of pasta. I've been working and working and while I know I've made progress it's really hard to see it!

I had to take apart the bodice to re-fit it (losing weight does have its disadvantages!). It's mostly put it back together, just the sleeves are left. I also had to take off the trim on the bodice (and un-gather all the trim that I prepped for the skirt in Jan) to fray-check it. All the fray-checking is done so I'm in the process of applying and re-applying the trim. Tedious!

I'm making myself finish it though before I work on anything else. The carrot I'm dangling in front of myself, as a reward for the tedium, is a secret project for the Ice Cream social. Hee.

Wow! Congrats to you and B! My son is off to military school next week where he will finish high school before going on to the Merchant Marine Academy. GO NAVY! :) I love your calendar, by the way. Super cool.